Free or low-cost legal services

VCAT cannot provide legal advice but Victoria Legal Aid, community legal centres and Justice Connect can usually give free legal advice or information to anyone. Court Network can provide information, support and refer people to other services.

Victoria Legal Aid

Victoria Legal Aid provides free legal information and education for all Victorians. They can also provide advice and represent people based on their financial situation and other individual circumstances.

They have offices throughout Victoria and provide duty lawyer services at VCAT.

Call their Legal Help phone service on 1300 792 387 to talk to someone in English or another language. For more information, go to the Victoria Legal Aid website

Duty lawyers at VCAT

Duty lawyers provide free and confidential legal advice to VCAT customers who are registered with Centrelink, low income earners or under 18 years of age.

The duty lawyer can sometimes assist in these types of cases:

renting a home – tenants only

guardianship and administration

powers of attorney

goods and services

review and regulation – Working with Children cases

equal opportunity

Disability Act

health and privacy

mental health.

They can also provide advice about VCAT procedures for cases under review and regulation and owners corporation.

The duty lawyer is located at VCAT on 55 King Street, Melbourne and is available from 9.15 am to 3.30 pm each week day.

Community legal centres

Community legal centres offer free legal help, particularly for people experiencing financial difficulties or those at a social disadvantage.

Domestic Building Legal Service

Justice Connect's DBLS provides advice and assistance to eligible home owners whose domestic building disputes were not resolved at DBDRV. It can assist home owners who do not have access to legal help and advice from other sources. Visit the Domestic Building Legal Service website for assistance.

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